Arcade system board

An arcade system board is a dedicated computer system created for the purpose of running arcade games. Arcade system boards typically consist of a main system board with any number of supporting boards. http://www.computerspacefan.com/ComputerSpace.pdf]

The earliest non-microprocessor based arcade system boards were designed around codeless state machine computers with the main board and any support boards consisting of discrete logic circuits comprising each element of the game itself. [http://briandeuel.swift-mail.com/briandeuel.com/aainterview.html Al Alcorn Interview ] ] The next generation of arcade system boards, with the inclusion of microprocessor based technology, incorporated the game program code directly on the main system board via game code stored in ROM chips mounted on the main board. Later arcade system boards, including the DECO Cassette System, SNK's Neo-Geo, Capcom's CPS-2, and Sega's NAOMI, separated the system board from the game program itself, akin to a home video game console and cartridge. This method benefitted both manufacturers and arcade game owners. Once the system board was purchased, the owner could switch out the games at a fraction of the price and with less effort, and the manufacturers could produce fewer of the costly system boards and more of the less-costly games.

List of Arcade system boards by manufacturer

BrezzaSoft

* Crystal System (2001 - 2003)

Capcom

* Capcom Play System (1988 - 1995)
* Capcom Play System 2 (1993 - 2004)
* Capcom Play System 3 (1996 - 1999)

=Cave=

* Cave 1st Generation (1994 - 2001)
* Cave 3rd Generation (2004 -)

CD Express

* Cubo CD32 (1995)

Data East

* Cassette System (1981 - 1985)
* Simple 156 (1994 - 1996)
* MLC System (1995 - 1996)

Examu

* eX-BOARD (2008)

Fuuki

* FG-2 (1995 - 1996)
* FG-3 (1998 - 2000)

Gaelco

* Gaelco GAE1
* Gaelco GAE2
* Gaelco 3D
* Gaelco PC Based

=IGS=

* PolyGame Master (1997 - 2005)
* PolyGame Master 2 (2007)

Irem/Data East

* M-10
* M-62
* M-107

Jaleco

* Mega System 32

Kaneko

* Super NOVA System

Konami

* GX System
* GQ System
* Baby Phoenix / GV System
* GTI Club System
* M2 System
* Cobra System
* BEMANI DJ-Main
* Hornet System
* System 573
* BEMANI 573 ANALOG
* BEMANI 573 DIGITAL
* BEMANI Firebeat
* Viper
* Pyson

Limenko

* Power System 2 (2000 - 2003)

=Midway=

=Seibu=

* SPI System (1995 - 2000)

Seta

* Seta 1st Generation (1987 - 1996)
* Seta 2nd Generation (1993 - 2002)
* Seta Aleck64 (1998 - 2004)

=SNK=

* Neo Geo MVS (1990 - 2004)
* Hyper Neo Geo 64 (1997 - 1999)

Sony

* ZN-1 (1996 - 2000)
* ZN-2 (1997 - 1999)

=Taito=

* Taito F3 System (1992 - 1998)
* FX-1A System (1995 - 1996)
* JC System (1995 - 1998)
* FX-1B System (1996 - 1997)
* Wolf System (1997)
* PPC JC System (1998)
* Taito G-NET (1998 - 2004)
* Type Zero (1999 - 2000)
* Scorpion (2000 - 2001)
* Type X (2004 - 2008)
* Type X+ (2005 - 2007)
* Type X2 (2006 -)

Tecmo

* TPS System (1997 - 2001)

References